Arab Educational Information Network

This study aims at identifying the efficiency of a program based on scientific fiction in developing the visual thinking of the eighth primary grade female students in Gaza. To achieve the objectives of the study the researcher used the descriptive analytic approach for analyzing the content of this study and the quasi-experimental approach for designing pre-post testing of two groups. The sample consisted of 80 eighth primary grade female students from Alramla Preparatory Girls’ School in the academic year 2015-2016. The researcher built based on the sci-fi program using three strategies: (science fiction stories, playing the roles of unfamiliar characters, science fiction movies), including scientific concepts and skills of visual thinking. A test of scientific concepts was designed that consisted of (34) paragraphs and a tests for the skills of visual thinking that consisted of (28) paragraphs. The span of study application was (6) weeks or (24) classes. After the completion of the implementation of the program on the students in the experimental group, the post-test was applied on both the control and experimental groups. Data was analyzed statistically; to reach the findings of the study. There are statistically significant differences at the level of significance (0.05 ≥ α) between the mean scores of students the control group and the experimental group in the post-test of scientific concepts and visual thinking skills in favor of the experimental group. The findings also show that the proposed program managed to achieve efficiency level more than Blake’s modified gain ratio. There is a need to use the educational programs based on science fiction for teaching science courses because of their role in the development of concepts and skills of visual thinking. Teachers should also be trained to design and activate programs based on science fiction in all academic levels educational. (Author's abstract)